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There are some courses you might need to take even if you won’t receive credit for them. Duplicate and mutually exclusive courses may be necessary for your program requirements.

You’ll receive a notice from us if you register in a duplicate or mutually exclusive course.

Duplicate courses

A duplicate course is one that you have received credit for before, but have to retake. For example, you might need to repeat a course to get a better grade. You won’t get credit, but you can use the new grade to meet program requirements.

If you complete the duplicate course, your new grade will not replace the old grade. Instead, both grades will show on your record and both will be used in any GPA calculations.

You can check if you’ve previously received credit from a course by looking at your administrative transcript. Note that transfer credit is hidden by default. If you’re not sure that you need to repeat a course, talk to your academic adviser.

If you stay registered in a duplicate course, a note will be added to the course after the term has begun. It will appear on your administrative transcript as “Duplicate” and on your official transcript as “DUP”.

Some courses, such as special topics courses, may be taken more than once for credit without being duplicate. The calendar entry for the course will explicitly state when this is possible.

Mutually exclusive courses

Some courses are mutually exclusive with others. This means that you won’t get credit for that course if it’s taken at the same time as or after those other courses.

A course could be mutually exclusive because:

• the content is too similar to a course you’re registered in or have already taken
• it was taken in an inappropriate sequence

You might need to take a mutually exclusive course if it’s required for your program of study.

You will not receive credit for a mutually exclusive course. If you complete the mutually exclusive course, your new grade will not replace the old grade. Instead, both grades will show on your record and both will be used in any GPA calculations.

If you stay registered in a mutually exclusive course, it will appear on your administrative transcript as “Mutually Exclusive” and on your official transcript as “M/X”. It will only appear after the term has begun.

You can check if a course is mutually exclusive by looking at its calendar entry. If a course is mutually exclusive, it will be noted in its calendar course note. Any courses that it’s mutually exclusive with will be listed.

Student loans & scholarships

Duplicate or mutually exclusive courses might affect your student loans and scholarships.

You must be registered in 4.5 units per term (not including waitlisted courses) to definitely qualify for government student loans. If you aren’t, you may not qualify. Duplicate or mutually exclusive courses might not be included in your confirmed registration total.

If you have questions about the status of your funding, contact Student Awards and Financial Aid (SAFA).

Need help?

If you’re not sure that you need to remain registered in a course, contact your academic adviser.

If you don't know why your course is duplicate or mutually exclusive, check your administrative transcript and the course calendar note. If you're still unsure, contact Undergraduate Records at records@uvic.ca.